1. "Why Should We Have to Go to Class if We Came Here to Play Football?" What This Book is About -- 2. "If I Wanted to Play, I Had to Bring Home the Grades": Interviews with Former Student Athletes -- 3. "Emptying the Tank": Current Student-Athletes -- 4. "Going into Classes Blind": Comparing Student-Athletes' Experiences -- 5. "Professional Sports are a Well-Paying Temporary Job": Messages from Coaches -- 6. "The Importance of Having a Plan B": Academic Personnel Who Work with Student-Athletes -- 7. Re imagining College Sports and Student Athletes -- .

This book challenges existing literature on student-athletes and examines the obstacles student-athletes face with respect to academic achievement in college. Blum includes excerpts from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with US student-athletes, coaches, academic advisors, and learning specialists to provide insights on how student-athletes define success academically, athletically, and professionally. He also identifies the challenges student-athletes face inside and outside of the classroom and how they can be helped in achieving academic success.